Career Watch: Public Health Careers in Mental Health

Overview

The field of mental health is burgeoning, especially now that the Affordable Care
Act has expanded access to services for millions of Americans. While many mental health
positions require specialized training above and beyond a public health degree, public
health professionals can work to research and understand mental health conditions,
pair those needing help with treatment options, evaluate programs, and decrease the
stigma traditionally associated with seeking mental health support.

In Practice

Public health positions in mental health exist in organizations as diverse as nonprofits,
research institutions, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and private practice. Some jobs
focus more on the macro scale of mental health and involve policy work and community
program planning and implementation. Other jobs, including positions in clinical practice
that would require a secondary degree, use primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention
and promotion approaches to working directly with patients. All jobs ultimately contribute
to the main aim of promoting health and preventing disease.

Job Opportunities

Public health professionals can work in the field of mental health as researchers,
program and intervention planners, directors, and evaluators, and in outreach and
marketing capacities. Additionally, grant writers are always needed to seek out research
and program funding sources, as are health educators who understand chronic disease
and physical health issues through the lens of mental health. With further mental
health training, you can serve as a counselor, therapist, or case manager.

Skill Set

For careers involving both public and mental health, having the right mindset—being
able to view the cross-linkages between physical and mental health and how they influence
overall health—is the most important skill. This integrated understanding is in sharp
contrast to the more conventional practice of viewing physical and mental health as
two separate disciplines. For public health careers in mental health, it’s also a
plus to have refined interpersonal skills, as many mental health positions involve
public engagement as well as research and/or practical experience working with specific
populations of interest.

Takeaway Quote

“If you’re thinking about integrating your public health knowledge into a mental health
career, it’s essential that you understand the interconnected relationship between
physical and mental health. To get the dual skill set to really put you ahead of the
game, seek out as many classes and opportunities as you can to work in the field of
mental health on various levels—interpersonal, community, policy, research, etc. If
you’re interested in working directly with patients, consider pursuing a master of
social work or PhD in clinical psychology.”